Major changes have begun in season 4, including deaths and baby vampire training and hunter initiations. We’re still craving some answers as the mid-season premiere draws closer. Until then, let’s celebrate some of the best moments so far over the course of season 4.

5. Deaths happen quite frequently on “The Vampire Diaries,” but one that struck hard with many fans was the unbecoming of Alaric (Matt Davis) and then subsequent death. A particularly sentimental and surprising moment of the season came when he appeared as a ghost at a cemetery while Damon (Ian Somerhalder) shared his sorrows over his grave site. With a speech about Alaric leaving him alone to babysit the kids, we realized that we lost a great adult figure and influence in Mystic Falls.

4. Season 3 ended with the shocker of Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) newfound vampire status. Of course that meant plenty of training sessions to curb her craving for blood, and her personality shifted from holier-than-thou to something more grounded — more on the same level as Damon.

3. A new vampire hunter shook up Mystic Falls and legitimately scared its occupants. He shot a human girl in a church for the sole purpose of enticing vampires by the scent of her blood. This also led to one of the best twists of the season with Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) keyed up to become a vampire hunter, one that has super-strength and an obsession to kill bloodsuckers, which includes his dear ole sister. Even better? McQueen’s biceps have become something to admire.

2. The BIGGEST twist of the season (while it might not be the best) is Elena’s sire bond to Damon. We learn that Elena’s infatuation with Damon after she turned into a vampire is all because she’s strangely sired to him. Though, the bond could only exist if she had feelings for him before she died. Stefan (Paul Wesley) had Elena for three whole seasons. It’s now time for Damon to have a chance. Let’s see if Julie Plec agrees.

1. The mid-season finale, without a doubt, ranks as the best moment of the season and maybe the most memorable of the entire series. The episode “The Reckoning” has always stood out as a favorite among critics, Julie Plec and fans alike, but “O Come, All Ye Faithful” may just take the cake. Klaus (Joseph Morgan) enacts his revenge on his newly un-sired hybrids with a sword and a lot of blood. To make matters more grim, the entire scene is laced with bone-chilling Christmas music. He finishes off his massacre by drowning Tyler’s inebriated mother in a fountain. Some moments will be permanently etched in the “TVD” canon. I suspect this has already found a spot.

Have any favorite moments? Tell us in the comments! And watch “The Vampire Diaries” on Thursday at 8pm.